Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Former “Mob Wives” star Karen Gravano hit the makers of “Grand Theft
Auto V” with a $40 million lawsuit for hijacking her image, according to
court papers.
The reality TV star, whose father is the mafia underboss-turned-FBI
informant Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, claims the video games stole her
life story for a character named Antonia Bottino.
In the fifth edition of the popular and ultra-violent video game
Antonia is rescued by players who find her buried alive by one of her
dad’s enemies.
The fictional character says her wiseguy dad became a snitch as part of a plea bargain on a murder charge.
“Her story is unique and is hers to tell, not that of the writer in
the video game,” the real-life Staten Island woman gripes in her
Manhattan civil suit filed Tuesday.
“This is impermissible and is a direct misappropriation and
destruction of [Gravano's] name, likeness, personal life story and
image.”
Gravano, 41, says she wanted the game publisher Rockstar Games to
hold the latest edition so she could reveal more secrets of her sordid
history in an upcoming tome.
The game was released in Sept. 2013.
“This has damaged plaintiff because the plaintiff is releasing a
second book containing the parts of the not so known aspects of the
story used by” Grand Theft Auto V.
Gravano’s first book, “Mob Daughter: The Mafia, Sammy "The Bul"’ Gravano, and Me!” was published in 2012.
The mob daughter brags that she is “well known nationally and
internationally” in court papers. She left the VH1 reality show “Mob
Wives” at the end of last season.
She said she never gave Grand Theft Auto permission to use her likeness, the suit says.
Reps for the game did not return messages.